Crimson Ties
by Serephim
Summary: Cho Hakkai just went to grieve for his deceased relative. Now he is caught up in a story that leaves him with more than questions. As he tries to unravel the secrets in his life, he must protect the balance between worlds. Shounenai, dark. Note inside.


Note: Hello all! This may seem strange but please bear with me. First I must apologize for being so late. Between tests, work battles, summer homework, and different visits. Next I want to apologize for this little bump in the road. What you are reading now is the revamped version of 'Crimson Ties'. The original Crimson ties left so much to be desired. It also had a lot of mistakes and it could've been drawn out more. It could also have been explained so much better. There were scenes so important that never made it. Honestly, I could've done a lot better. I'm taking time to revamp it, draw out the story, explain the relations, the powers of the characters and the whole attitude of the piece. So without further ado, I introduce 'Crimson Ties: Revamped'. I promise to be more prompt this time around.

Disclaimer: I do not own Saiyuki or any of its Characters.

Crimson Ties

The night was dark and cold. The wind shook leafless limbs reaching for the moonless sky. The old house stood out in the stillness of the ancient hills. The front door light acted as a beacon to those lost on the hills. The house was empty of life, except for a small white creature. This creature watched the outside with soft golden eyes. He waited patiently for his master's return.

The front door slammed shut, resounding in the vacant space. The small creature picked up his head and flew to greet his master. He squealed in delight at the sight of his master. His master was draped in a long dark cloak, showing no part of his master.

"I apologize for being so late, little one. Forgive these old bones of mine." His master said with a laugh.

The cloak was drawn back to reveal an older woman. Her gray hair was slowly turning white and there were soft wrinkles forming around her mouth and eyes. Other than that, she could easily be considered youthful for her 80 odd years. She smiled gently at the small creature and held out a hand to him. He flew over and curled on her shoulders. She stroked his head gently as she started up the stairs.

"Well, my dear friend. You have been there for me in my most trying moments. I have never had a more dear friend and confident than you. I just wanted you to know that." She started as she stepped into her bedroom.

It had a simple elegance behind it, but well suited to her needs. She sat on the bed and set the small creature on the nightstand so that they were eye to eye.

"I need you to know that and… that this will be my last night on this fair earth." She started slowly.

The little creature flew up in alarm. He squealed, panicking. The woman took a hold of him and soothed him with soft words. He calmed slightly.

"I know it's unfair, my dear friend. The damage was done years ago when I first took this job. We both knew that this was a temporary thing. Unfortunately, humans tend to be short lived beings of leisure when compared to such a noble creature such as yourself. I promise you though that your next master will be a bit younger and more durable than I. I have made sure of that." She smiled triumphantly to herself.

He looked a bit confused at her words, but stayed quiet and listened to her.

"You remember my young grandchild, right? The one who used to play with you as a baby. They've probably forgotten all about you. All the odd aunts, uncles, and other relatives saw to that quite quickly. But I have a plan. You bet your sweet tail I do. In the meantime, I need you to guard this house. Your spiritual powers are strong, but I just need you to guard the house until they come. Don't worry. You'll be able to tell who it is. I trust your intuition. Before the last of my light fades, I have a little bit of business to take care of. For now… Get some rest my dear. It might be a while so it's wise to conserve your energy." She said petting, the tiny creature.

He looked up with sad eyes, but he silently obeyed his master's wishes. The woman went over to the small ornate desk that took up a space along the wall and turned on the small desk light. She brought a pile of papers and slowly read through the pile. She double checked everything before putting the stack aside. She reached for a pen and a clean sheet of paper and started to write. She finished, sealed the letter in an envelope, and set it on top of the stack of papers. She went to the attic and checked that everything was in place. She double checked the house as well. When she absolutely sure that everything that could possibly foreseen and could be useful to her heir, she retired to bed. She settled down and just before she drifted into her endless, dreamless sleep, she prayed that everything would go right this time around.

"Be careful, my sweet, sweet Gonou." She whispered to the darkness. Her body quieted, slowly shutting down along with its soul. A shaky breath was released and then everything grew silent. The house slipped into an unsettling silence. The little white guardian wondered quietly how long he would be forced to be alone in the dark castle that was his home. He quietly wished for a quick and safe return for his new master. Whoever they might be….

"Isn't it strange how the boy never does anything but smile?"

'It's not like they'd understand.' The young man sighed softly as the train moved swiftly along its steel tracks. He ran a hand through dark tresses, shaking his head lightly. He stared blankly out the window, watching the scenery pass him by. The green never seemed to fade on a dreary day as such. The green only intensified in the rain.

'Why is that?' he mumbled blandly. To any onlooker, he was your average, handsome young man. His dark, brown hair seemed to fall in the right place just perfectly to show off his beautiful emerald eyes. Small oval glasses were perched on the end of his nose as he attempted to engross himself in an interesting piece of fiction. Then the rain started to pour down, adding another lemon to his already disastrous day.

He had received a letter from a distant relative (very distant), informing him that his grandmother had recently died. The news had taken him aback. Hakkai had been very fond of her wit and humor. Age never seemed to slow her down a bit. Then, her sudden illness took over and it had left her weak and helpless. No had suspected a thing, because she never let it be seen that she was ill. When she drew up her will, she made it so that her young grandson, Hakkai, would inherit everything that belonged to her. That included money, estate, and anything on the estate. He didn't want any of it, not if it meant losing another close family member. To him, it was nothing more than blood money.

Hakkai shuddered slightly at the thought. He forced it away and swallowed slowly. He had promised himself not to think about any of that. Now was not the time to be lamenting over the past. His past, to be accurate. He had loose ends to tie up, estates and money to manage, and what not. Hakkai had so much to do that he felt as if his face would break from smiling too much.

"All off for Anra Heights. All off for Anra Heights!" the conductor shouted, waving his hand in a circle motion.

Hakkai rose from his seat, stretching widely and yawning. He had been sitting on a train for the past three hours and his legs felt like rubber. He pulled his bag off the rack and slowly made his way out onto the platform. The thick air surrounding the platform made Hakkai cough a little. His eyes scanned the crowd for his ride. He had no clue where it was coming from, who it was, let alone what they looked like. All he knew was to look for a sign that read, 'Cho Hakkai.'

Hakkai sighed as he sat down on a bench. It wasn't like he had anything better to do. He leaned back on the bench and laid an arm over his eyes.

"Are you Cho Hakkai?" a voice boomed near him.

Hakkai jolted forward and looked up to the voice's source. The voice belonged to a tall, older looking man. He had light brown hair with small traces and clumps of grey. His eyes were a stern, watery gray that only added to his appearance. Hakkai felt a bit shy right then.

"Um… Yes. That would be me." Hakkai replied, smiling weakly at the man.

The man's shoulder's dropped and his serious stature dropped as soon as he let out a long sigh. His face gave way to a thankful smile as he took Hakkai's hand in his own.

"It is an honor to meet you, young master. I have had such terrible luck today with finding you. My mistress failed to give me a description of you and the time of your arrival. I've been spending the last three hours trying to find you. Please forgive me, young sir." The man sighed miserably.

'Young master? Am I that well known already?'

."It's quite alright. Really. Err… What's your name, if you don't mind my asking?" Hakkai smiled nervously, not sure what to say to this poor man's problems.

"Ah! My apologies, young sir. I am Jiroshien, serv… I mean, assistant to Lady Kanzeon. You will meet her later, but now I must take you up to the house. You are expecting to be there for the will reading. Come now, young master."

Jiroshien moved pretty quick for such a weary soul. Once outside, Hakkai's eyes went wide at the sight of the limousine. He had grown up simply. Whenever his grandmother had visited, she always came simply. That was before he found out she was wealthy. This whole scenario would take some getting used to. A lot of getting used to.

He stepped into the limo and sat quietly near the farthest window in it. The limo hummed to life as the driver pulled out and away from the airport. Hakkai watched road signs and cars pass by. He felt a deep sadness well up again. He felt alone even though Jiroshien was right beside him.

'No matter how hard I try, I suppose I will always be the puzzle piece that doesn't quite fit anywhere.' Hakkai thought languidly.

Hakkai watched the procession of people as they filed into a conference room. He had stared in awe when he first got to the place. The law offices were huge. He stared at it before Jiroshien had barked at him to hurry up. The inside was much grander than the outside. The dressing room Jiroshien had put him in was very spacious. He thought it looked rather bare in his opinion. Jiroshien left him there to dry off and change into more suitable clothing.

Hakkai sighed as he watched a group of people he didn't know enter the room. A few even went to lengths to glare at him. He must be well known then.

"So… you're Cho Hakkai, aren't you?"

Hakkai turned and found a young woman beside him. Hakkai had to admit to himself that she certainly was a knockout. Her brown hair fell in curls around slim shoulders and down her back. Her dark eyes seemed to bore into him and she came right up to his nose. Her black suit made her look more business than mourning. Hakkai cleared his throat and nodded at her.

"Yes. I'm Hakkai. It's nice to meet you, Miss….?" Hakkai smiled at he, extending his hand to her warmly.

"Konoike. Konoike Midori. Remember that name for future reference." She replied, pushing his hand away.

" Nice to meet you too." He muttered to himself as she walked around him, looking him up and down.

"You aren't much to look at. I guess that's what happens when you marry into poverty. Why are you here, if I may ask?" Midori sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well… I received a summons about my grandmother's death and the reading of her will. I felt it necessary to come in mourning and to see her off. By the way, how do you know who I am? If I may ask." Hakkai coughed, keeping his smile in place.

"You're the only one I don't know here. Usually you know everyone in a room and what they've done just by matching a face with a name. I've never met you, heard about you, or anything of the sort. The only reason I even know your name is because that old biddy mentioned you in her will." Midori explained, looking at him as if it were obvious.

"Really, Miss Midori. You shouldn't speak ill of the dead. It's rather unbecoming of one such as yourself, don't you agree?" Hakkai stated bluntly.

She raised an eyebrow at him and smiled a little deviously at him. She moved closer to him and toyed with his tie. She pulled down on it, making his head come closer to her. He gasped at the sudden close up of Midori's face.

"How polite and yet so rude. You can easily call someone an asshole but it would be so nicely said that they wouldn't notice the difference. Am I right?" she asked, wrapping the tie around her hand.

"I don't see what that has to do with the here and now." Hakkai frowned.

"A man like you is useful. Here. Just in case nothing else works out. Because, frankly my dear boy, I doubt you'll leave here with a single dime to your name. If you'll excuse me."

Midori walked away after placing a card in his hand. Hakkai looked down at it, spying the name of a company and her phone number. He frowned at it sharply before throwing it to the side. He walked over to Jiroshien and nodded to him.

"Ah. Young master. I trust you find everything turning out smoothly." Jiroshien said, bowing his head slightly.

"I just met an interesting woman. Miss Midori Konoike?" Hakkai posed to him, wondering if the name meant anything at all to him.

"I advise you to stay away from her. She is a sort of vixen who would love nothing more than to have you wrapped around her little finger. She's nothing but trouble if I do say so myself." He huffed, his chest puffing out in distaste.

"I'll keep that in mind. Why am I here anyways? I honestly doubt I would be left anything anyway. I was born from an aristocrat and an impoverished man, remember? So why am I here?" Hakkai asked, looking to Jiroshien for an answer.

" I cannot say. I'm not the one who summoned you. The executor of the will is Lady Kanzeon herself. From what she's told me, your grandmother has left behind special instructions for you. She's also sure that a good piece of fortune was left for you. Your grandmother was a wonderful woman and it would have pained her to see a grandchild of hers punished for something he had no control over." He told Hakkai with a small smile on his face.

Hakkai nodded and was about to reply when the door opened. A tall woman in a smart looking white suit stepped in the room. Her black hair was pulled up into a ponytail and the curls fell around her. Her high heels clacked across the floor and her eyes held a devious light to them. Everyone in the room sat down in a seat, all glancing at each other suspiciously. Hakkai took a seat beside Jiroshien and waited patiently for everything to commence.

"Ladies and gentlemen. I am Kanzeon, executor of Lady Marie's will. We are gathered here today to read the last will and testament of Hoshino Marie. Everything written on this small piece of paper is set in stone and cannot be changed unless the recipient wishes it. Now we shall begin the reading." The woman explained, taking out a manila envelope and pulling out a sealed wad of paper.

"I, Hoshino Marie, being of sound mind and spirit, leave this as my last will and statement. I apologize for leaving so suddenly and it was a sheer miracle that I had enough sense to revise my will. As many of you know, throughout my life I have always loved stories. Everyone's life is basically a story. However, one of my grandchildren will inherit my story. The one I think is most worthy to inherit this legacy and destiny. The one who inherits it is the one who needs it. That person…"

"Enough already!!! Everyone one knows the old biddy was loony. Can we just get on with who gets what?" one man shouted, standing up in desperation.

Kanzeon raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. She flipped through the papers and found the page she was looking for. She cleared her throat and began to read again.

"Upon my death, I leave my entire fortune to my young grandson, Cho Hakkai. He is to be given a letter explaining exactly what to do with everything according to my wishes. To everyone else who showed up, I wish a happy and bountiful life. Thank you." Kanzeon read, a satisfied smirk on her face.

"I don't believe it! That half witted old grandma left every scrap of her fortune to that half breed?! Are you kidding me?!?!" The man from earlier asked in disgust.

" What is here is set in stone. Now if you will excuse me, Mr. Cho and I have things to discuss. Good day to you all." Kanzeon replied to them all, taking Hakkai by the shoulder and guiding him into an office nearby.

Jiroshien closed the door behind them and stood by Hakkai. Kanzeon reached into the envelope and drew out another letter, addressed specifically to Hakkai. She handed it to him with a sigh. She folded her hands together and sat back in her seat.

"These are your instructions upon what to do with the estate. She left it all to you, knowing you would fulfill her dying wishes. She gives specific instructions about most of her money and estates but she left you the mansion and a small sum of money for you to live off of comfortably for a few decades. Now, get out of my sight. I've given you your instructions. I'm going home and taking a nap. I've still got a hangover from last night. Later." Kanzeon told him, slamming the door as she walked out of the office.

" I do apologize. She has a bit of a chip on her shoulder. I believe you'll do fine. If you'd like, I can take you to your new home and show you around the place." Jiroshien offered, smiling softly.

"Of course. Thank you, Jiroshien."

"It's my pleasure, young master."

--

The inn was loud and boisterous with the sounds of drunken men happily cheering for no apparent reason. The barmaid smiled as she passed around another round of drinks. The postman came in, nodding at a couple of regulars who called out his name. He went up to barmaid and gave her the mail, most of it being for her since the inn rarely recieved mail for its customers. Her eyes widened in surprise as she read the recipient's name on one of the letters. It _was_ for a customer. She snuck around the bar and through the throng of people. There were times when she hated happy hour.

She knocked on the door of the his room waiting for a response. There was no movement so she knocked again, hoping he would hear her. There was a rustle then a click of a lock. The door opened slowly.

No matter how many times she saw him, she never quite got over how beautiful the man looked. His short blonde hair was a bit messy and his bleary violet eyes gazed upon her in distaste. His slim figure leaned against the doorway tiredly. He wore jeans but no shirt.

"What do you want?" he hissed tiredly, glaring at her for disturbing his sleep.

"I'm sorry to have disturbed you, sir. I would have guessed that the lunch hour would have woken you up. Anyways, there is a letter here for you. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask." She replied, handing the letter to him and starting off down to the bar.

The man glanced down at the letter, his eyes widening in surprise. He came out and noticed the girl leaving.

"Hold it." he called to her.

"Is something wrong sir?" she asked, a puzzled expression on her face.

"I'm checking out. Ring up my bill and I will pay as soon as I'm packed." He told her disappearing into his room and leaving a very confused barmaid.

The man shook his head and laughed to himself. He began to throw his clothes in a bag and he jumped into the shower. Once, he was out he looked at the letter and laughed again.

"So, Marie. Looks like you've finally kicked the bucket. Oh well. It is very kind of you to do so." He chuckled as he picked up his bag and pocketed the letter, leaving the dark room behind.

The letter simply read:

'I've moved on. Everything is just as you asked. This will settle our previous deal. May your weary soul be rested, Sanzo.

Marie'


End file.
